Manitowoc Rotary names winners of 'Car on Ice' fundraiser

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Rotary clubs of Manitowoc County have placed a car on the Lake Michigan ice at Manitowoc Marina, 425 Maritime Drive, as a fundraiser. Whoever guesses the date and time it will fall through the ice could win more than $1,000.(Photo: Provided)

The van was placed on the ice Jan. 30 as a "Car on Ice" fundraiser for Manitowoc County Rotary clubs. The challenge was for fundraiser participants to guess what time and what day the car would fall through the ice.

The van lasted 30 days on top of the ice, before warm weather caused it to then the van drop through. The clubs said 295 people made 624 guesses in the contest. In fact, there were 18 submissions by 13 different people for Feb. 28. However, DiRaimondo's predicted time of 4:01 a.m. was closest to the actual time of 5:19 a.m.

DiRaimondo said he is donating his winnings to the Capitol Civic Centre's Act Two campaign. “This helps them be able to continue with renovations to prepare for the Capitol’s second century," he said.

Two second-place prizes were awarded, one drawn from the 18 submissions that selected Feb. 28 as the day the van fell through the ice and the other drawn from all submitted entries.

Winning the prize for picking the proper day was Lisa Nelson, who twice guessed Feb. 28. Winning the random drawing of all entries was Robert Gahl, whose date guess of 3:15 p.m. March 15 wasn’t even close.

The two second-place prizes are a Bahamas cruise for two valued at $630.

For photos of the fundraiser from beginning to end, check out the website CarOnIce.com, or visit facebook.com/CarOnIceManitowoc.

Rotary Clubs of Manitowoc County support multiple nonprofits and other charitable causes.

The car used in the fundraiser was stripped of all possible contaminants or pollutants to make as little impact on the marina as possible.